This past Friday night, Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel stepped back into cage for the first time since suffering a torn ACL that kept her out of action for more than a year. Gurgel started off slowly but mounted enough offense in the later rounds to take a unanimous-decision victory over Casey “KO” Noland at Bellator 78 in Fairborn, Ohio.

Gurgel (12-1 MMA, 6-0 BFC) had no trouble making the 125-pound flyweight limit for her fight with Noland (4-6 MMA, 0-2 BFC) and appeared to be in much better physical condition than she was during her 2010 run in the Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament. She took down her opponent in the opening minute, but Noland used an Achilles lock to sweep and then struck from the top until Gurgel worked back to her feet. Noland was effective with knees in the clinch and appeared to take the first round.

In the second round, Gurgel began to pick up the pace both standing and on the ground. She secured another takedown and locked on a kimura that had Noland in some trouble. Noland fought free and landed more knees in close as Gurgel attempted a flying armbar before the bell.

Gurgel countered Noland’s knees with quick punches in the third round. She landed knees of her own, and Noland dropped to the ground. Gurgel swarmed with punches and an elbow that opened a cut on Noland’s forehead, and the late rally proved to be enough to secure Gurgel the round and the fight on the judges’ scorecards. Scores were 29-28 across the board for Gurgel, who was happy to pick up the win but critical of her performance.

Gurgel admitted that she was not as aggressive as she had planned to be early in the fight, but she nevertheless put on a solid showing given the severity of her injury and her lengthy hiatus from competition. Bellator hopes to stage a 125-pound women’s tournament in 2013, and Gurgel – should she take part – could have a number of tough tests ahead of her.

Cage Warriors title bout scrapped, Sexton contemplates retirement

Leading U.K. promotion Cage Warriors had planned to crown its first female flyweight champion this past Saturday at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff, Wales. However, an untimely illness forced Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff (10-4-1) to withdraw from the fight, and her intended opponent, Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton (13-2), subsequently announced plans to retire.

In a historic move, Sexton and Gaff agreed to stringent Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) drug testing leading up to the title fight. The testing came with a price tag of roughly $3,000 per fighter, but Sexton felt that it would provide legitimacy to the title. However, when Gaff withdrew from the fight, Sexton took to social media to express her disappointment and frustration with the situation and the loss of thousands of dollars to the testing and training.

Sexton’s career extends all the way back to May 2002, and she competed on the inaugural Cage Warriors card two and a half months later. But her tenure as a fighter may have come to an end as a result of the cancellation of Saturday’s fight. Sexton feels that the issue of PEDs in MMA is a growing problem that can only be solved if changes are made to the current testing protocols. She is no longer willing to take the risk of fighting an opponent who may be on steroids.

Sexton stated that she is still open to fighting Gaff for the title, but only if the cost of the eight-week VADA drug testing is covered. She questioned the timing and severity of Gaff’s illness, which was said to be a bad case of the flu. But Gaff’s team responded by denying that their fighter had taken any banned substances.

It is currently unknown whether Cage Warriors will try to reschedule the title fight for a future event in 2013. Sexton maintains that she will only take the fight if VADA testing is used and is prepared to walk away from the sport forever if it is not.

Aguilar still without Bellator 80 opponent

Following her decision victory over former pound-for-pound queen Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii in May, strawweight standout Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (14-4 MMA, 4-1 BFC) had planned to return to the Bellator cage on Nov. 9 at Bellator 80 in Hollywood, Fla. Unfortunately for Aguilar, she remains without an opponent, and her fight is no longer listed on the promotion’s official site.

Aguilar earned a close but unanimous-decision victory over Fujii at Bellator 69 to take over the top spot at 115 pounds. Bellator officials had planned to match up Aguilar with a tough opponent on the November card, but they found it difficult to put together a fight. With many of the top female fighters at 115 pounds currently signed to Invicta FC or XFC, and with limited time to secure visas for foreign fighters, Bellator has thus far been unable to find Aguilar an opponent.

The American Top Team star may still compete on the Bellator 80 card, but with fewer than two weeks to go, time is running out.

Team Australia defeats Team Japan at Brace For War 17

This past Saturday, Australia’s Brace For War promotion showcased its first all-female event. “Brace For War 17: Brace Girls” took place in Southport, Queensland, Australia, and featured a total of 11 pro bouts. A pair of Team Australia vs. Team Japan matchups headlined the card, and the local fighters reigned supreme in quick and dominant fashion.

Within seconds of the opening bell, Chambers rocked Nagano with a head kick and had her Japanese foe on the defensive. Nagano regained her footing and kept her distance, but she made a costly mistake soon after. As Nagano shot in for a takedown, she dove right into a vicious knee from Chambers and fell to the ground. Chambers quickly jumped on top and landed a series of punches until referee Peter Hickmott intervened to stop the fight. The TKO stoppage came just 42 seconds into the opening round.

Chambers earned her biggest victory to date with the destruction of Nagano and got herself back on track after suffering a first-round submission loss to Japan’s top female prospect, Mizuki Inoue, in March. Nagano, who was once a top contender in Jewels, has tasted defeat in four of her past six fights.

The Brace For War 17 co-main event lasted slightly longer, but the outcome was equally decisive. Australia’s Claire Fryer (3-1) made short work of Japanese challenger Rina Tomita (3-7) with a barrage of punches in the first round.

With trainer Megumi Fujii in her corner, Tomita came out aggressively and took down Fryer early on. She could not keep her there for long, however, and Fryer quickly got back to her feet. A counter hook from Fryer dropped Tomita to her knees, and she tried in vain to again take down Fryer. Tomita resorted to pulling half-guard and Fryer made her pay by raining down punches until referee Jason Green dove in for the save at the 2:37 mark of the first round.

Fryer is widely seen as the No. 2 female fighter in Australia at 115 pounds behind Chambers, who handed Fryer her lone career defeat in July 2010.

Sanja Sucevic (4-1) defeated Irene “La Nina” Cabello (1-2) via TKO (punches) at the 1:24 mark of the second round at Super Fight League 4 on Oct. 12 in Mumbai, India. Sucevic dropped Cabello with a big right hand in the second round but became overly aggressive on the ground. The fighters then battled back and forth on the mat throughout the round. Sucevic’s striking skills proved to be too much for Cabello in the second round, and a flurry of punches from Sucevic forced referee Yuji Shimada to jump in for the save. Sucevic has won three straight fights.

Karla Benitez (7-3) defeated Emma Watson (3-3) via TKO (retirement) after the first round at Hombres de Honor 46 on Oct. 12 in Madrid, Spain. The victory got Benitez back on track after setbacks in each of her past three fights. Five of her seven wins have come inside the distance.

“Sassy” Cassie Rodish (3-3) defeated Summer Artherton (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:40 mark of the first round at “Midwest Cage Championship 43: High Octane” on Oct. 12 in Des Moines, Iowa. Rodish has now won three fights in a row and spoiled Artherton’s pro debut with the victory. Artherton had amassed an impressive 6-2 amateur record prior to the fight.

Diana “Dynamite” Rael (4-3) defeated Darla “Train Wreck” Harris (3-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:41 mark of the second round at Made For War 1 on Oct. 13 in Castle Rock, Colo. Rael controlled the opening round with punches from the top, and she wasted no time in taking down Harris in the second round. When Harris tried to spin into an armbar, Rael took her back and locked on the choke for the tap-out victory.

Emily Kagan (2-0) defeated Glena “Heartless” Avila (2-1) via split decision at “Dakota FC 13: Coming Home” on Oct. 13 in Grand Forks, N.D. The fighters battled back and forth across three razor-thin rounds that were predominantly contested in the clinch. Avila appeared to press the action throughout, but Kagan’s counterstrikes and clinch work were enough to propel her to a narrow decision victory. The Team Jackson MMA fighter remains perfect as a professional.

Manjit Kolekar (2-0) defeated Ritika Singh (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:45 mark of the second round at Super Fight League 5 on Oct. 19 in Mumbai, India. Kolekar scored a pair of knockdowns in the opening round, but Singh answered with a crucial takedown in the second stanza. Kolekar swept and landed punches from mount for the TKO victory in her pro debut.

Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt (4-1) def. Christina Nicole Tatnell (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 37-second mark of the first round at Nitro 7 on Oct. 20 in Queensland, Australia. Hyatt has won four straight fights. Tatnell stepped in on very short notice after Hyatt’s first two opponents withdrew.

Brianna “Tha Bull” VanBuren (1-0) defeated Charlene “Princess” Gellner (0-3) via KO (punch) at the 2:37 mark of the first round at “Rogue Fights 20: Fists of Fire” on Oct. 20 in Redding, Calif. VanBuren remains unbeaten in her MMA career and previously enjoyed a 4-0 stint as an amateur.

Tyra Parker (2-2) defeated Trisha Clark (2-6) via submission (armbar) in 58 seconds at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 50 on Oct. 20 in Duluth, Ga. Parker was competing for the first time in more than two years. She has won two straight fights, and none of her four bouts to date has made it to the two-minute mark.

Colleen “The Beautiful Disaster” Schneider (3-4) defeated Aya Saeid “Sheklesa” Saber (1-1) via TKO (elbows) at the 3:55 mark of first round at Super Fight League 6 on Oct. 26 in Mumbai, India. Schneider took down Saber against the cage in the opening minute and trapped both of her arms. From a top-side crucifix, Schneider rained down elbows until the bout was finally stopped. She has won both of her fights inside the SFL cage. Saber was a late replacement after two of Schneider’s original opponents withdrew on short notice.

Upcoming fights

Sheila Bird (2-0) faces fellow jiu-jitsu specialist Christina “Scary” Barry (0-1) at “Aggression Fighting Championship 12: Domination” on Nov. 2 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Bird has finished both of her pro opponents inside the first round and makes her return to action after an injury hiatus. Barry succumbed to an armbar from Sarah Moras in her September pro debut.

Anna Zucchelli (2-1) faces Chloe Hinchliffe (1-2) at “All or Nothing 4: Best of the Best” on Nov. 3 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Zucchelli has earned TKO wins in each of her past two fights since dropping a majority decision to fellow striker Karen Ousey in her pro MMA debut. Hinchliffe picked up her first win on the all-female Women Fight Back card in August.

Sumie Sakai (2-3) faces Jamie Lowe (0-0) at “Cage Fury Fighting Championships 19: Liguori vs. Azeredo” on Nov. 3 in Atlantic City, N.J. Sakai, a veteran pro wrestler, returns to MMA for the first time in more than three years. She has previously faced top-ranked stars Jessica Aguilar and Jessica Penne and will have a significant experience edge over the debuting Lowe.

Sadae “Manhoef” Suzumura (3-1-1) faces Shino VanHoose (3-1) at Pancrase Progress Tour 12 on Nov. 10 in Tokyo. Suzumura has won back-to-back fights and is coming off of her biggest victory to date against Sachiko Yamamoto in May. The 17-year-old VanHoose opened her career with three straight wins and looks to get back on track after a decision loss to top atomweight contender Kikuyo Ishikawa. The winner of the Suzumura-VanHoose bout will claim the No. 10 spot at 105 pounds.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every other Monday. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.